J. Nannoplankton Res. 33 (1), 2014, pp47-48 © 2014 International Nannoplankton Association47

Taxonomic note: Watznaueria okadai, a new species ofcalcareous nannofossil from the Vocontian Basin,southeastern France
Allan Gil S. Fernando

Nannoworks Laboratory, National Institute of Geological Sciences, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Philippines;
agsfernando@yahoo.com

Abstract: A new species of Watznaueria, W. okadai, is described from the Goguel Level of the Les Sauzeries sec-tion in southeastern France (Vocontian Basin). The species occurs in Nannofossil Zones NC6A-NC7A (Early Aptian)and is presently known only from the study area.

Keywords: Watznaueria okadai, Aptian, Goguel Level, Vocontian Basin, southeastern France
Introduction
A calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphic study of theGoguel Level in the Vocontian Basin, southeastern (SE)France revealed a new species of Watznaueria, which isdescribed herein. The samples were collected from theGoguel Level (‘Niveau Goguel’) of Core 2003-GOG-1,
drilled in Les Sauzeries in the southern part of the Vocontian Basin (Figure 1A). The material was collectedin connection with the 21st Century Center of Excellence
Program “The Neoscience of Natural History” of Hokkaido University.
The Goguel Level is a regional equivalent of the globally-distributed Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a), andis represented in the core by a ~6.2m-long interval between the Bedoulian Limestone (Core 17-4) and an overlying marl (lower 30cm of Core 15-3: Figure 1B). Theinterval is composed of alternating sequences of stronglyto weakly-bioturbated, non-laminated to well-laminated,
light to dark grey mudstones, siltstones and marls. Thesealternations are punctuated by several black shale intervals, labeled GO1-GO6 on Figure 1B. The new species
was recorded in Core 16-1,
in the GO6-I shale. The investigated interval was assigned by Fernando (2006)
to NC6A-NC7A (of Roth,
1978; Bralower et al., 1993,1995), equivalent to CC7a(of Perch-Nielsen, 1985,
modified from Sissingh,1977). These zones suggest
an Early Aptian age, which
is more or less consistent
with the widely accepted age
of OAE1a (e.g., Bralower etal. 1994).
Taxonomy
The cores used in the present
study are stored at Hokkaido
University (Sapporo, Japan)
and IFREE, JAMSTEC(Yokusaka, Japan). Smearslides and original digital
images of the new species

JNR_33_1_txt.indd 47

are stored at the Nannoworks Laboratory of the National
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of the Philippines (Quezon City, Philippines).
Order WATZNAUERIALES Bown, 1987
Family WATZNAUERIACEAE
Rood, Hay & Barnard, 1971
Genus Watznaueria Reinhardt, 1964
Watznaueria okadai sp. nov.
Plate 1, Figures 6-8
Derivation of name: Named after Prof. Hisatake Okada(Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan), noted nannofossil palaeontologist and biostratigrapher. Diagnosis: Medium-sized, broadly-elliptical placolith coccolith (axial
ratio ~1.1), with a sub-axial, asymmetrical cross occupying the central area. The short-axis arms are short andstraight, whilst the long-axis bar is sigmoidal. Remarks:This species was originally illustrated in Fernando (2006)
as Watznaueria sp. A (Pl. 18, figs 18-20). W. okadai isdifferent from W. quadriradiata and W. bybelliae, bothFigure 1 (A) Location of the Les Sauzeries section (Goguel core) in the Vocontian Basin, SE France. (B)Composite image of the cores drilled in the study area showing the black shale level, labeled GO6-I (indicated by arrow) wherein the new species was observed.

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Allan Gil S. Fernando

Plate 1 Watznaueria species from the Goguel core (all images taken in cross-polarised light - XPL). 1-2. W. barnesiae, GO-029 (1), 15-3 no. 16 (2);3. W. britannica, 15-3 no. 16; 4. W. fossacincta, 16-1 no. 15; 5. Watznaueria sp., GO-027; 6-8. Watznaueria okadai sp. nov. (holotype), 16-1 no. 15.

Watznauerias with a central-area cross, in several aspects.
The central areas of W. quadriradiata and W. bybelliae
are spanned by axial crosses with straight bars, whilst W.
okadai has a subaxial, asymmetrical cross. The geologicalranges of the taxa are also different: W. okadai is, at present, only known from the Early Aptian, while W. quadriradiata and W. bybelliae are known from the Santonian to
Maastrichtian (e.g. Burnett et al., 1998; Self Trail, 1999).
Dimensions: Length = 7μm; width = 6.5μm. Holotype:Pl.1, figs 6-8. Type locality: Les Sauzeries section, Vocontian Basin, SE France. Type level: Sample 16-1 no.
15, Core 16-I, GO6-I shale interval, Goguel Level (LowerAptian). Occurrence: NC6A-NC7A in the Les Sauzeries
section, Vocontian Basin, SE France (Fernando, 2006).
The species was recorded as rare in occurrence.
Acknowledgements
AGSF would like to thank Drs Hisatake Okada, Ken
Sawada and Reishi Takashima (Hokkaido University) andDr. Koichi Iijima (IFREE, JAMSTEC) for collecting thesamples. The paper is an offshoot of AGSF’s PhD Dissertation at the Division of Earth and Planetary Science,Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
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